


Christmas at the Lake

by DodgerBear



Series: The Trevor Project [23]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-16 16:37:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18098081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DodgerBear/pseuds/DodgerBear
Summary: Hot tubs, stargazing and freaking out the neighbors.





	Christmas at the Lake

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all so much for the mad love this universe seems to get, as well as my other Gallavich stories. It’s so amazing to share them and see the comments and encouragement. Thank you thank you thank you!

John Adams’ death in custody a week before Christmas meant that his funeral was delayed. The red tape around the investigation and the added slowness of anything happening around the holidays was to blame but for Mickey and Ian it gave them a couple more weeks with the kids to help them get their heads around it. Blake was pretty steady. He had Yev there to vent to or cry to or be distracted by...basically whatever they got up to when their bedroom door was closed. The men hadn’t told him the details they now knew from Alice but it was only a matter of time as they swore honesty was the best policy when it came to their kids, even if the truth ultimately hurt them at first. They would give him a few days to process but then they would have to let him know what they knew, something Mickey in particular was dreading. Lily was a different story. She still hadn’t shed a tear for her father and it was worrying Ian and Mickey more as the days went on. It felt like everyone was on edge. It was two days before Christmas, so also two days before Blake turned seventeen, and they still hadn’t heard from Alice about the guardianship orders for the kids. Mickey was at the end of his rope but the last thing on his mind was stress fucking, much to Ian’s concern. He knew his man better than he knew himself so for Mickey to turn him down at the highest point of stress in their year made him wonder if Mickey was changing as their responsibility grew. It was probably for the best because not long after they went to bed Lily appeared in their room. 

“What’s up Lils?” Ian yawned and patted the bed for her to hop on. 

Mickey shuffled over to make space and Lily settled down between them. 

“I can’t sleep. I keep thinking about my Mom.” She admitted. 

“What about her sweetheart?” Ian asked gently. 

“I want to see her.”

Mickey felt his heart stutter in his chest. “Oh. Okay. I’m not sure how possible that is Lils. We’d have to check with Alice. It might not be a good idea just now.” He explained. 

“I know.” Lily nodded. “But I really want to see her. I miss her a lot but I know she’s not coming home. I want to say goodbye.”

Ian frowned deeply. “What makes you think that?”

Lily shrugged. “She’s never been able to cope without Dad. Now he’s gone she won’t be able to look after me and Blake. And that’s okay because we have you guys.”

“Lily, it might not be that way.” Mickey warned her softly. 

“I know, Mickey. But I still want to say goodbye even for now.”

“Alright. We’ll speak to Alice.”

“Can I sleep here tonight?” Lily yawned. 

Mickey and Ian shared a look. If Lily was their daughter they’d have no qualms about letting her sleep in their bed. But they really didn’t want to risk their future by doing something that might be questionable in the eyes of the courts. Ian took control of the situation. 

“There’s not a lot of room for all of us. How about I tuck you in and stay with you for a while?”

Lily smiled tiredly. “Sure.”

Ian led her back to bed and spent the night sleeping on the floor beside her bed. 

 

“Fuck this. I can’t do it.” Mickey snapped and grabbed his cell phone. 

It was the morning of Christmas Eve and they were anxiously awaiting news from Alice. The shop had closed for the holidays and Ian was off until after New Years after begging everyone he knew the name of to cover a shift so he could use up some vacation time with his family. Most were more than happy to help him out. Over the years Ian had helped everyone out at least once with a shift cover. 

“You’ve got news? Hang on. I’ll put you on speaker.” Mickey clicked his phone screen and lay it down on the counter so Ian could hear. 

“Okay, so Judge Marquez is really happy with how you guys are dealing with this absolute shit show.” Alice chuckled hollowly. 

“That’s good.” Ian smiled at Mickey. 

“It’s very good. She’s signed off on a permanent guardianship and residency order for Blake. He’s yours for good, if you want him.”

“You serious?” Mickey spluttered. 

“When am I ever not serious Mikhailo?” Alice teased. “It’s a little more complicated than I’m making it sound here but I’ll explain everything when I visit in a couple of weeks. Essentially, we don’t want Blake to age out of foster care. It’s not good for kids to become adults and not have a permanent family home.”

Mickey cut her off gently. “He’s _got_ a permanent family home.”

“I know. Now it’s official. Once I file the paperwork, and Blake agrees. Given the circumstances with Yev I don’t know how feasible adoption is for you guys, but it’s something to think about before he turns eighteen next year...”

Ian raised his eyebrows at the idea. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about it, or that he really liked the idea of making it official for Blake. But dating his other adopted son could take it to a realm of weirdness that nobody could deal with. 

“They still together?” Alice asked very quietly like she didn’t really want to know the answer. 

“Yep. Still going strong.” Ian confirmed. 

“Okay. So, that brings us to Lily.” 

Mickey edged closer to the phone. 

“Gloria has received the reports from the facility Mary Adams is in and it’s not looking good for her. She’s borderline catatonic most days, on the others she’s hysterical and confused to the point she tries to harm herself and others around her. She spends most of the time sedated.”

Ian sucked in a breath, memories of his own time in a facility flashing through his mind. Mickey reached for his hand across the kitchen counter and Ian grabbed for it. Ian didn’t talk about it much but that period of his life was hazy and patchy at times but sharp memories were imprinted in his brain. Like the sedation, how he would fight it so hard because he wanted to remember things and it made him forget everyone in his life existed. But fighting just meant a stronger dose and it meant falling under to thoughts that he would never get to see Yev again and say sorry for being so fucked up. Ian’s mouth was dry and his throat ached with tension. 

“So...” Alice continued, unaware Ian was on the other end of the line feeling like he was drowning in syrup. “We’re going to place her with you guys on a permanent basis. If that’s okay with you.”

“What does that mean?” Mickey asked, glancing nervously at Ian and trying to soothe him with a gentle squeeze of his hand. 

“It means she stays with you, as a permanent foster care placement, for the long term. It means if Mary Adams has a miraculous recovery she will need to apply for the courts to recognize her parental rights again and prove she’s capable of looking after Lily. And by all accounts that’s currently not looking like an option. You will be, for all intents and purposes, her parents.”

“Right.” Ian exhaled his shaky breath. 

“She’s asking to see her mom. Is that gonna be possible? She wants to say goodbye.” Mickey asked Alice nervously. 

Alice sighed down the line. “Not right now. Maybe in a few weeks, if we get word she’s gonna be able to cope with seeing Lily. But for now I’d have to say no.”

“Okay.” Mickey agreed. “Thanks Alice.”

“I’ll be over to see you first week in January.”

“Hey Alice?” Ian blurted. “We good to take the kids away for a few days? Just a little break away from here...”

Mickey shot Ian a look of surprise but stayed silent for Alice to answer. 

She did with a light laugh. “Of course you’re good. You’re their parents now. Dad and Pops. Even if they don’t call you that, it’s still what you are.”

“Right. Okay. Yeah.” Ian smiled. 

“That’s another thing...” Mickey added. “Lily was feeling sad about her mom the other night and asked to sleep in our bed. We didn’t think it would be a good idea if the judge heard about it...”

“...so I ended up sleeping on her bedroom floor all night. My back isn’t recovered yet.” Ian muttered. 

Alice tittered to herself again. “Guys...just going to say this one more time for you. YOU ARE HER PARENTS. SHE IS YOUR DAUGHTER IN THE EYES OF THE COURT. If that means letting a sad, emotional little girl have some parental comfort, not a single person will comment.” Her words were spelled out slowly. 

Mickey and Ian breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Thanks Alice.” Ian murmured. 

“You’re welcome. Have a good holidays. See you soon.”

The connection clicked off and Ian let out a growling sigh. The strain of keeping it in left a pain in the center of his chest. Mickey grabbed him around the middle. 

“You’re okay.”

Ian nodded. “That poor woman.”

“Hey. Come on. You can’t dwell on it.”

“But I _remember_ Mick. I remember everything. The guilt of leaving my family to deal with my shit near enough finished me.”

Mickey rubbed his hand down Ian’s back. “Dealing with shit is what families do. That’s what makes you a family in the first place. Come on Gallagher.”

Ian trembled in Mickey’s arms for a moment until he gathered himself. 

“So...you gonna tell me where we’re going to get away from here?” 

Ian chuckled. “Donna offered us her cabin on the lake for a few days. She’s cancelled using it to stay home with her sick mom so it’s all winter-proofed and ready to use. She said we could take the kids for a break.”

“Seriously? That’s kinda cool.” Mickey grinned. 

“I thought so but wasn’t sure if you’d go for it.”

Mickey pulled Ian into a deep kiss. “When can we go?”

“Soon as you like.”

 

All of the kids were excited about the trip and Ian apologetically cancelled Christmas with his family so they could head up to the cabin immediately. When they arrived it became clear that Donna was either a bank robber or a drug dealer. The cabin was fucking huge. Ian set down Oliver’s travel box and let the animal out when they all made it inside. The pampered pet stalked around his new environment looking for mischief. 

“Jesus Christ.” Blake glanced around. “This place is unreal.”

Mickey went from room to room, his eyebrows meeting his hairline when he discovered a huge open plan kitchen and reception room, a separate snug filled with huge cushioned sofas and a fireplace, a spacious bathroom with an indoor toilet, a wet room and four bedrooms. 

“Grab your bags and find a bedroom. We got dibs on the one closest to the bathroom.” Mickey instructed and the kids dashed off to take their pick. 

Ian wrapped his arms around Mickey. “I think I wanna live here now.”

Mickey barked a laugh. “This is some serious real estate. Is Donna some like woodland fairy princess?”

“Her grandfather invented some kind of spray glue that they use to repair train tracks. He sold it for crazy money and shared it out with her whole family. She probably doesn’t need to work but she loves me so much she comes in just to hang with me.”

Mickey laughed happily. “I spotted a hot tub outside...”

“Oh yeah. She told me about that. It’s all cleaned out, fresh and ready to go.” Ian stroked Mickey’s hair back from his forehead. 

“This is one of those times I kinda wish we were alone.” Mickey mumbled as Ian’s lips brushed over his own. 

“Don’t worry, Donna said we can come back just the two of us for our anniversary.”

“You know when our anniversary is?” Mickey chuckled, knowing perfectly well when it was but since they never really did anything he didn’t expect Ian to remember. 

“Depends on when you think this all started...” Ian punctuated his words with pecks to Mickey’s lips. “June 21st when I picked you up from juvie and we went to the dug outs...or August 31st when you kissed me in the van when we were stealing back Ned’s shit...”

Mickey cut him off by kissing him hard, teeth clashing and tongues twisting. He pulled away and shook his head firmly. 

“None of those. September 7th. You broke into my house, armed with a tire iron.”

Ian’s face lit up in a grin. “That’s when it is for you?”

Mickey shrugged. “That’s when I knew I’d never be able to live without your dick. The love part came later.”

“I can’t believe you remembered the date.” 

“September 7th is my... _was_ my mom’s birthday. I was takin a nap because I was so stoned from trying to forget about it.” Mickey admitted softly. 

Ian’s heart swelled with sadness. “Oh. Shit. I’m sorry.”

Mickey chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. You gave me plenty to distract me.”

Ian licked his lips. “I’ll always be happy to help you with that.”

Mickey pressed a kiss to Ian’s damp lips and moved away to grab their bags and carry them to their bedroom in the cabin. 

 

Christmas Eve was spent in front of the fire playing games and listening to Yev’s music player. It was so relaxed that everyone could almost forget the shitty time they’d had recently. When it was nearing bedtime Mickey and Ian decided it was the right time to let the kids know Alice had been in touch. 

“So...uh...” Mickey started and trailed off nervously. 

Ian knew he was terrified of the kids rejecting them. Rejecting him. He reached for Mickey’s hand and squeezed. 

“We spoke to Alice today. We need to talk to you about a few things. Basically, your mom isn’t doing good. She’s not going to be in a position to care for anyone, including herself, for the long term. If ever.” Ian stated calmly. 

Blake nodded once, turning the music down to a quiet murmur in the background before crawling into the space between Yev’s legs. His boyfriend wrapped his arms around his middle for comfort. 

“Blake...with you it’s like this...if you’re happy with it and agree to it, you’re signed off to stay with us permanently. No more reviews. No fear of going anywhere else. Parental rights would be ours for good, until you’re an adult.” Ian explained. 

Mickey fidgeted anxiously with the cuff of Ian’s sweater. “You good with that?”

Blake smiled warmly at the two men. “Are _you_ guys good with that?”

Ian grinned and nodded while Mickey rolled his eyes at the youngster. 

“Think we’ve gone through this much to let you go now? We’re good with it.”

Blake grinned happily and snuggled into Yev’s arms. “You good with it?”

“You know it.” Yev pecked a kiss to his forehead. 

Lily bit her lip, something she’d picked up from Mickey within days of moving into their home. Oliver was perched on the sofa beside her, glaring at Mickey as if daring him to upset his Lily. Her bright blue eyes were wide and anxious. 

“Come here Lils.” Ian gestured her over and Lily leapt into Ian’s arms. When she was settled in his lap Mickey took over. 

“Lils, your mom is very sick. We asked Alice about visiting her and she said it wasn’t possible just now. I’m sorry.”

Lily nodded slowly. “That’s okay.”

“And,” Mickey took a breath. “If you want to stay with us we can make that happen too. For a long time. We’d take on the role of parents for you.”

Lily’s eyes widened even further. “Really?”

Ian smiled and nodded. “We’d love you to stay.”

Lily burst into tears and Ian jolted in surprise. “Lils...”

“Happy tears.” She sobbed into his sleeve. 

Blake rolled his eyes at Yev with a grin. 

“Aw man. This mean I’ve got an annoying little sister now?” Yev chuckled. 

Lily wiped her eyes hastily. “Yes. But I’d be more worried about your annoying little brother if I were you.”

Yev started to laugh at the same time Ian and Mickey did, but Blake could only glare at his sister. 

“Really? _You’re_ doing incest jokes now too?” He huffed. 

“Yeah. I’ll make the jokes and leave to real incest to you.” She stuck out her tongue and giggled happily into Ian’s chest. 

Blake glared up at Yev. “You responsible for this?”

Yev shook his head, biting on his top lip to hold in his giggles. “Nope. She’s just sassy.”

 

Lily woke the whole family early the next morning, excited for her first Christmas with them. Ian took care of lighting the fire while Mickey made a start on breakfast. 

“Where’s Blake and Yev?” Lily muttered impatiently as she gathered up some plates to help Mickey. 

Mickey smirked. “They’ll be out soon. Yev’s probably just giving Blake his birthday present.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “That’s what we’re calling it?”

“Yup. That’s what we’re calling it.” Mickey confirmed. 

 

Blake was indeed receiving a birthday present, in the form of a blowjob gifted by the gods. His fingers knotted in Yev’s messy hair and twisted. His face was pressed firmly into a pillow to stop the whole of the lakeside residents hearing his pleasure as Yev sucked him off like he was trying to get a golf ball through a straw. 

“Zhenya please...” He begged for something but he wasn’t sure what exactly. 

Yev had always been good at giving head. What he lacked in experience he made up in natural talent and enthusiasm. He looked up at Blake through his dark lashes while swirling his tongue around the head of Blake’s rigid cock. 

“You okay, birthday boy?” 

Blake nodded wildly. “Need to come.”

“So come.” Yev grinned and dipped back down to engulf Blake in his mouth. 

Blake stuffed the corner of the pillow into his mouth and let out a deep groan when Yev pushed him beyond the point of control. Blake’s eyes widened in lustful disbelief as Yev made eye contact with him while he swallowed down everything Blake could give him. 

“Holy fuck.” Blake gasped for breath. 

Yev crawled up the bed and collapsed on top of Blake, burying his face in his boyfriend’s neck. “Happy birthday love.”

“This is gonna be how I die, isn’t it?”

“I hope not. Not for a long time yet.” Yev chuckled. 

“Fuck I love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Need to get you off...”

“It’s okay. Gimme a minute and I’ll be fine. Lily’s gonna be in here soon looking for us.”

“Better put my dick away then.” Blake felt around for his boxer shorts. 

“I’M GONNA FEED YOUR PANCAKES TO OLIVER!” Lily’s voice hollered from outside their door. 

Blake giggled as he rearranged Yev’s limbs on the bed and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “I’ll keep her busy while you sort yourself out.”

 

After breakfast the family gathered to give out Blake’s birthday gifts. Yev went first and handed over a box, which Blake opened to reveal a pair of black and blue Under Armour running shoes with his name embroidered into the back panel under the logo. 

“Yev...these are amazing!”

Yev blushed. “I’m pleased you like them. They are fine for running trails if you want to go out for a run while we’re here.”

“That sounds good, if the snow isn’t too bad.” Blake leaned over to peck Yev on the lips. “Thank you.”

Lily impatiently thrust a wrapped package into Blake’s hands. “From me and Oliver.”

Blake grinned and opened it up, finding inside a book of Russian phrases and a new leather wallet. He chuckled happily and drew Lily into a tight hug. 

“Thanks Lilypad.” He reached over to the arm of the sofa to scratch Oliver behind the ears. “And you Ollie.”

Mickey and Ian had been quietly sipping one cup of coffee, passing it back and forth as they watched their family celebrate Blake’s birthday. Mickey was a little nervous about their gift to Blake but he knew it was too late to change it now. Ian reached behind the sofa and pulled out a small box wrapped in silver paper. 

“This one is from us.” He tossed the box to Blake with a smile. 

“And if you don’t like it tough shit, we don’t got any returns policy.” Mickey added with a wink. 

Blake opened the box and picked out a key ring in the shape of a B which held a well used key. He looked up at the guys curiously. “What does this open?”

“It’s for the van you fixed up from the project. We bought it off Trevor. It’s yours.” Mickey explained, nervously waiting for the frown of disappointment from Blake. Instead he got a look of absolute joy. 

“Are you serious? You bought the van for me? Really?” His face was bright with excitement. 

“Yeah. We got Yev a car for his 17th birthday...and it seems a shame that you spent all that time and effort on the van and not get to keep it.” Mickey shrugged. 

“You guys are amazing. Thank you so much.” Blake got up and hugged each man tightly. 

“You’re welcome. We’ll say the same to you as we did to Yev. You stay safe, you stay legal and you don’t go near it if you’ve been drinking or smoking.” Ian warned. 

Blake nodded fiercely. “Got it.”

Yev beamed when Blake sat back down beside him. “That’s gonna make our trips to Burnham Park so much more comfortable.”

“And that’s all we wanna hear about that.” Mickey clapped his hands and stood up. 

Ian followed and pointed to the closet by the front door. “Wrap up warm, we’re going out to the frozen lake for a walk.”

 

After a few hours walking in the woods and seeing nature up close the family were cold and ready to be snuggled up in the cabin. Mickey felt a contentment settle in his chest when he walked alongside Ian, holding his hand and following behind the kids. Lily was on Yev’s back getting a lift while he gripped Blake’s hand. They were laughing between themselves about something Mickey couldn’t hear but it was so beautiful and pure to watch that he felt very emotional. 

“We ended up with a good bunch, right?” Ian mused aloud. 

Mickey smiled up at him. “We really did.”

Once they were back in the cabin and changed into their comfortable clothes, Ian served up a basic meal of grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and vegetables. Afterwards they gathered in the snug to watch a movie and drink hot chocolate with marshmallows. They shared out their Christmas presents, which on their budgets was kept to simple gestures of something practical, like new clothes and books. Lily got a couple of extra gifts from the boys to spoil her and she was thrilled. 

Oliver leapt up onto Mickey’s chest as he reclined on the sofa. 

“Ollie is sad he didn’t get any gifts.” Lily pouted. 

Mickey raised his brows at the cat. “Oh really? Guess he won’t want the extra chicken we cooked for him huh?”

Oliver purred loudly and Mickey relented, stroking him gently. 

 

When it was dark that night the family started up the hot tub. Ian and Mickey got distracted while they were changing and Lily was making everyone a fresh hot chocolate so Blake and Yev headed out first. It didn’t take them long to get carried away and start making out, Yev pressing Blake up against the side and kissing him thoroughly. Blake wrapped his legs around Yev and held him close. 

“Donna? That you?” A loud voice came from around the corner. “Oh! Sorry! Oh my God!”

Yev and Blake pulled apart and blushed deeply when they saw an older man, probably in his sixties, looking mortified with embarrassment at walking in on the horny teenagers. “I thought it would be Donna, my neighbor!”

Yev chuckled easily. “It’s okay. Donna works with my Pops. She’s letting us stay here.”

The cabin door opened and Lily slipped out in her swimsuit, closely followed by Ian and then Mickey. Ian smiled at the visitor. 

“Hey.” He greeted. “You must be Donna’s neighbor.”

“Yes. Miles Cooper. I live down the track on the left.” He shook Ian’s outstretched hand. 

“Good to meet you. This is my partner Mickey and our kids. Lily, Blake and Yevgeny.” Ian introduced with a sweeping hand to his family. 

Miles shot a disbelieving look at Blake and Yev, who were now blushing furiously. 

“Everything okay?” Ian frowned. 

“They’re...your _kids_?”

Mickey closed his eyes in despair, understanding immediately what was occurring. Ian wasn’t catching on very quickly, however, and frowned in confusion. 

“Yes.” He clarified, his frown deepening when Miles’ eyes bugged out of his head. 

“But they were...they...oh my...” Miles stuttered. 

Lily rolled her eyes at her brother. “You been doing that incest thing again?”

“Lily!” Blake hissed, slipping down in the water in the hope he would be sucked away down the drain and never have to deal with this again. 

Miles quickly made his apologies and was back in his own cabin before Lily had finished fist bumping Mickey. 

“Nicely done, Padawan.” He chuckled. 

“I hate you all.” Blake muttered with no heat in his words. 

Ian lifted Lily into the tub before joining them, cuddling up to Mickey and staring up at the jet black night sky. The stars twinkled brightly, looking so close they could almost be touched. 

“Pretty.” Mickey murmured. 

Ian chuckled and kissed Mickey on the shoulder. “I knew I’d get you to look at the stars with me eventually.”

 

 

 


End file.
